


doux et lent

by gominee



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Slice of Life, chanyeol is a clumsy mess, jongin is a dance instructor, some very brief smut, there's a wedding involved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 20:58:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18373979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gominee/pseuds/gominee
Summary: It's a business card. Kim Jongin, it reads. Dance instructor. Below that is an address and a phone number. Chanyeol assumes it's for a dance studio.Puzzled, he looks up. "You want me to take dance lessons?"





	doux et lent

Chanyeol's afraid of an infinite number of things. 

He's never liked bugs that fly, never liked loud noises, never liked thinking about how deep the ocean is, how many spiders there are in the world altogether. Jump scares still send him flying at the tender age of twenty-six and he likes leaving space documentaries on at night so his room isn't encased in darkness. 

Even so, Yoora's wrath is what he fears most.

"I want you to be presentable at my wedding," she says over her cup of coffee, looking right at Chanyeol.

Chanyeol stares.

Yoora stares back.

He opens his mouth to ask what presentable means and why Yoora's saying it like it's something dire—she raises her hand and silences him immediately, slim shoulders squared. Without another word, she retrieves a small card from her pocket and slides it across the table.

It's a business card. Kim Jongin, it reads. Dance instructor. Below that is an address and a phone number. Chanyeol assumes it's for a dance studio.

Puzzled, he looks up. "You want me to take dance lessons?"

"You have no choice," Yoora says, setting her cup back down. She levels Chanyeol with a stare that's twice as hard as the last, and Chanyeol straightens out in his café seat, moderately nervous. "If you want to come to my wedding, you're taking dance lessons."

"Are you banning me from your wedding unless I learn how to dance?" Chanyeol asks, eyes wide. His words devolve into a whine within seconds, but Yoora only holds her hand up again and shakes her head, eyes closed. 

"If I do ban you, it's out of love. That's not going to happen, though, because you're going to take dance lessons. That's the instructor my fiancé and I used to get ready for our first dance. He's very nice, and he's a very good dancer. He can fix you." Yoora looks at him again, gives him a brief once-over, crinkles her nose. "I don't want a repeat of the family reunion."

Chanyeol groans in response and slouches down in his seat. "Come on, that was an accident. I apologized a thousand times, and only, like, twelve people caught it on camera. What, you think I'm gonna embarrass myself like that at your wedding?"

"You can't help it," Yoora returns. She leans over the side of the table and gestures to one of Chanyeol's sprawled legs. "You're tall, bow-legged, and clumsy. It's in your nature to trip every five minutes. A dance instructor can fix that."

Chanyeol's already pouting, but he knows he has little to no say in this. It's his sister's wedding. If Yoora doesn't want him to be a klutz, he can't be a klutz. The only way to make that happen is to see a professional who teaches clumsy people how to dance for a living. "How many lessons do I have to take?"

"Four," Yoora answers, and Chanyeol groans again. "Don't whine. You need all the help you can get. I'll pay for it, but if you need any lessons beyond the first four, that's on you. They're easy and fun, I promise. Kim Jongin's an amazing instructor, so it shouldn't be all that hard."

Weary, Chanyeol gives Yoora a look, but the sureness of her posture says it all: there's no way out of this, and he's attending every single class she pays for. "And you're making me pay for extra lessons if I end up needing them? That's not fair. If you want me to learn how to dance, you should pay for all of it."

Yoora stares at him until he shrinks back into his seat. "If you need more than four lessons to learn how to waltz, you're hopeless, Park Chanyeol." Her expression changes into something bright, then, and she smiles like she's delighted to have gotten her way while she slips out of her seat. "I need to go. I'm still doing a little wedding planning myself. Promise me you'll behave for the instructor?"

Chanyeol grumbles out a reluctant _I promise,_ and Yoora ruffles his hair, kisses the top of his head as she walks by. "You'll be dancing like a ballerino before you know it!"

It's silent after Yoora leaves save for the chatter of other patrons around him. Chanyeol looks at the business card, at the name printed across the front. He wonders how much patience Kim Jongin has. He wonders if he'd be a bad brother if he decided not to go.

Chanyeol pockets the business card and runs his thumb over the smooth texture of it, wonders why he'd been born with the moral need to be a good person that won't get banned from his sister's wedding for not knowing how to dance.

\--

Chanyeol makes the appointment later that night, speaks to a nice secretary over the phone who tells him his lessons have already been paid for. They're once a week on Fridays and they start at seven o'clock, last for an hour. He makes sure Yoora's aware of his cooperation, and she praises and babies him for it like she always has.

That doesn't make the thought of embarrassing himself in front of a dancing instructor any less daunting. 

The business card rests on his bedside table. Chanyeol has the address saved in his phone so he won't have any trouble getting there. _Kim Jongin_. He feels unpleasantly nervous, put off by the thought of said instructor telling his sister about how hard he is to teach. What if it's a mean instructor? What if he walks around with a yardstick and smacks him on the wrist for having bad posture?

He falls asleep just like that, dreams idly plagued by images of an old, grumpy instructor who's probably twice his age and twice as in shape as him despite that.

\--

The week goes by in a flash and Friday comes faster than it should. Chanyeol forgets about the fact that he'd been forcibly signed up for dance lessons until he gets a text reminder at noon. It's a number he doesn't recognize, of course, but the text itself puzzles him.

_Dance class starts at seven o'clock tonight–don't forget! Come dressed in the most comfortable workout clothes you have and be ready to have fun. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the front desk or text me directly from this number. I look forward to meeting my first class of the fall soon! :)_

Chanyeol furrows his brows at his phone. Would an old, grumpy instructor use a smiley face and be this polite to his class? Yoora hadn't mentioned anything about his personality, but she hadn't warned him, either, so maybe he's not half bad. Maybe he's not old and grumpy. Maybe he doesn't walk around with a yardstick.

Kim Jongin. Chanyeol can't deny the fact that he's nervous, can't deny that he's afraid of making a fool out of himself. Even when the hours pass and he finds himself getting ready for his seven o'clock lesson at six, he's still nervous, hesitant in the way he repeatedly glances at himself in the mirror, the way he fixes his joggers and his grey tee over and over again. 

It could be worse. Yoora could've made him take classes on table manners and meal etiquette. 

It takes three more glances in the mirror and two extra bag checks before he heads out the door for dance class, wiggling his toes in his athletic shoes and hoping they'll be suitable for… whatever it is he's going to be made to do. Will Kim Jongin expect him to already know the basics of dancing? How many other people are going to be in his class? What if he trips and embarrasses himself and Kim Jongin makes him stand in the corner until he feels properly shamed? 

Chanyeol's thought of at least a hundred questions during the cab ride over and a hundred more reasons not to show up. Yoora wouldn't be too upset if he bailed, would she? She'd get over it within nine or ten years. It'd be brought up at family dinners for the rest of their lives, but Chanyeol thinks he's capable of handling that. He should ask the cab driver to turn around and take him back home.

Nonetheless, when the car slows to a stop, Chanyeol reluctantly pays his fare and steps out moments later. He's a good brother, he tells himself. He's doing the public a service.

The studio's small and quaint, tucked between a restaurant on the left and a bakery on the right. Chanyeol considers sauntering right on over to the restaurant and eating there instead of doing his mandatory dance lessons from hell, but his legs carry him to the front door of the studio regardless. There's a desk with no receptionist behind it at the front, and he peers around curiously, unsure of what to do with himself, whether or not he should call for someone or—

"Can I help you?" a kind voice asks, and Chanyeol whirls around, finds himself face to face with the textbook definition of _pretty_. Pretty dark hair, pretty brown eyes, pretty pink lips. He stares, words failing him for a moment that goes on for too long. The stranger with the kind voice tilts his head, curiosity slowly making way for worry. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Chanyeol says, too loud and too quick. He clears his throat and stands up straight. "I mean… I'm fine. I was looking for, um, Kim Jongin? I'm… I have dance lessons with him."

The stranger laughs, bows his head lightly. "You have dance lessons with me, then," he says. "I'm Kim Jongin. I try to come out and greet everyone as they come in. It makes the studio feel friendlier, you know?"

Chanyeol stares again. Kim Jongin. He's not old nor mean and he doesn't look like someone who owns a yardstick for the sole purpose of whacking bad students with it. "Uh," is Chanyeol's eloquent response, and he doesn't even remember to bow in return. Kim Jongin is so pretty. "Hi. I'm Chanyeol. I'm… really bad at dancing, so I'm here to apologize in advance for that. Please don't make me stand in the corner if I mess up?"

Jongin laughs again. It's full and bright and Chanyeol feels his lips pull up into a smile because his pretty dance instructor is laughing at something he said. His laugh is so nice. He's so pretty. "I don't believe in punishing people for mistakes," Jongin returns, words spoken around soft giggles that haven't quite died down. "And I don't believe in bad dancing, either. Dancing is supposed to be fun. Why do you wanna learn how to dance? What's your reason?"

"My sister's getting married," Chanyeol starts, rubbing the back of his neck, "and she doesn't want me to be a complete mess on the dance floor at her wedding. She said you helped her and her fiancé with their first dance?"

Recognition and realization both cross Jongin's expression at once. "Park Yoora?" he asks, inquisitive. "She mentioned you. She said she'd be dragging you here by the end of the month, so I guess she made good on that promise, huh?" 

That, of course, makes Chanyeol flush. He opens his mouth to say that he's probably not as bad as his sister had made him out to be, but Jongin's turning on his heel and politely gesturing for him to follow before he can. He's definitely complaining to Yoora about it later.

The studio turns out to be larger than it looks from the outside. Jongin leads him into a room with polished wooden floors and mirrors that span from floor to ceiling. There's already a handful of people here—all couples, from what he can tell. Two of the couples look older than his parents, and the third and fourth seem like near newlyweds even younger than him. Chanyeol is, naturally, the odd one out. Waltzing is a dance that requires two people, and he's the only one here without a partner.

Jongin sees it. Senses it, maybe. Chanyeol's nervous and he knows Jongin's aware of his nervousness. "Don't worry," Jongin tells him, giving Chanyeol's arm a gentle squeeze of encouragement. When he looks over, Jongin is smiling. "You'll have a partner, okay? You can't learn to waltz without one. You let me worry about pairing you up."

Chanyeol tries not to gnaw his lower lip even as Jongin makes his way to the front of the room, calls the class to attention. Who's he going to be partnered with? Everyone here already has someone. Jongin can't possibly be considering separating couples on occasion just so he can have someone to practice with. He shuffles further into the room, looks over just in time to see the eldest couple smiling kindly at him (like they're his grandparents or something). Chanyeol smiles back, of course, made shy by that small amount of affable attention. It's not too bad here so far.

"Welcome to my first waltzing class of the fall," Jongin says from the front, clasping his hands together. Chanyeol stares. His sincerity is cute. He's so pretty. "This is one of the shortest class packages I run, but it's also one of the most enjoyable. Waltzing is easy and you'll be doing it like a pro by the time you're leaving your last class with me. We only have an hour per class, so we'll make the absolute most of it. Are you excited to learn how to waltz?"

Chanyeol doesn't know if anyone's actually thrilled by the prospect of learning how to waltz, really, but Jongin's vibrant and his energy is contagious, so when the couples in the room affirm his question with happy _yes, songsaenim,_ he joins in too. 

"Good," Jongin continues, beaming brighter than ever. "It's nice to see that mostly everyone's already paired up, too. Having a partner is essential for waltzing. We have one student here who didn't arrive with a partner, so he's going to pair with me. This class is going to be about…"

Jongin doesn't stop talking, but Chanyeol stops listening. _We have one student here who didn’t arrive with a partner, so he's going to pair with me._ Chanyeol looks around twice more just to make sure he's the one without a partner. He feels dizzy. His dance instructor's hot and cute and way too kind to be human, and now he's going to be his dance partner too? Jongin makes eye contact with him while he speaks, smiles at Chanyeol reassuringly. The world is spinning. This is unfair. This is so unfair.

"...and I expect all of you to have fun. Don't take it too seriously. Dance is fun, and I want everyone here to enjoy themselves, alright?"

The class (sans a dazed Chanyeol) agrees with enthusiasm. 

"Stretching always comes first," Jongin says as he makes his way back to the middle of the room. "You know your own body best, so everyone's allotted five minutes to stretch however they please. We'll start once my timer goes off."

And then he approaches Chanyeol as the class begins to talk and stretch amongst themselves, smiles at him again. The world spins faster.

"I don't think you want me to be your partner," Chanyeol says, slowly sinking to the ground so he can attempt a few varying positions that somewhat resemble stretches. Jongin, in contrast, folds his legs into a butterfly as soon as he sits. His posture is perfect. Chanyeol's never had flexibility like that. "You're underestimating how bad my dancing is. It's, like, really bad. I'm gonna step all over your feet and everything."

"I'm a dance instructor, Chanyeol-ssi," Jongin replies. He eyes Chanyeol with mirth and leans over to correct the angle at which Chanyeol's laying his leg while he stretches. "I'm plenty accustomed to injuries, so don't worry about me. You, on the other hand, should be worried about the wrath of your sister. You'd get more experience by dancing with me, wouldn't you? She'd probably be really happy to hear you were able to learn at a closer proximity than the rest of the class."

"She would," Chanyeol grumbles. Jongin's right. He hates it. "Did she complain about my dancing to you?"

"She showed me the family reunion video," Jongin says, and Chanyeol's answering groan makes him laugh. "I thought I recognized you when you walked in. Yoora never made fun of you, I promise. She just wanted to know if I could prevent you from doing that at her wedding." 

Chanyeol's face feels warm. His ears are burning. It'd be fine if they weren't so ridiculously large and visible. "You're contractually obligated to prevent me from doing that at her wedding," he sniffs, moving to stretch his other leg. Chanyeol can barely reach his own toes, but when Jongin mirrors his position, he's able to lay his upper body flat against his outstretched leg. It's ridiculously cool to watch.

"Show off," Chanyeol remarks, and it only makes Jongin grin softly. He's so cute. 

"Should you be talking to your teacher like that? That's not very nice."

"You seem younger than me," Chanyeol says. He squints at Jongin, ignores the way his insides flutter when Jongin laughs. "Are you younger than me? You're supposed to respect your elders."

"I'm still your teacher," Jongin replies, but he's smiling. He leans over a second time, corrects the way Chanyeol his leg kicked out once more. Chanyeol feels special. He's the only one getting silently chastised for his awful stretching methods. He's already Jongin's favorite.

They both change positions. A calm lull threatens their conversation. It's peaceful, but Chanyeol's never been one for being quiet.

"So," he starts, bringing Jongin's attention forward. Chanyeol gives up on stretching and brings his knees to his chest. "How long have you been doing this?"

"Dancing or teaching dance?" Jongin asks. He's bending parallel to the floor over his spread legs like it's nothing, grabbing his own toes like it's nothing. It makes Chanyeol sick. "I've been dancing since I was little, but I've only been teaching it for four years. I do a little bit of everything. I largely teach ballet, but I offer classes over just about every traditional form of dance there is."

Ballet. He's so dreamy. "Does that mean you can… you know…" Chanyeol makes a vague gesture with his hands. "I don't know a whole lot of ballet terms. Pirouetting is a ballet thing, right? Can you pirouette?"

"Of course I can," Jongin replies, and he's confident yet coy, playful yet firm. He stops stretching too, regards Chanyeol with a bright look. "Why? Do you want to take ballet lessons too?"

"Me? Oh, no. Not in a million years. Waltzing's gonna be hard enough for me as it is." Chanyeol glances away with a smile. "But I think it'd be cool to see you pirouette. I've never watched someone do ballet before."

Jongin tips his head to the side. "Maybe I'll show you sometime," he says. When Chanyeol looks back over, Jongin's gaze is full of something akin to playfulness, and his pulse kicks into overdrive when he realizes there's a chance he's being flirted with. 

Flirt back. Flirt back. _Flirt back._

Jongin's phone chimes from his pocket. Their five minutes are up. He stands and offers a hand out to Chanyeol to help him do the same, and Chanyeol can only hope his palms aren't half as sweaty as they feel. 

"Relax," Jongin instructs, soft and kind. He squeezes Chanyeol's shoulders with both hands. "There's nothing to be nervous about, I promise. I'm not gonna make you dance all alone in front of the whole class. We'll practice together, okay? Just you and me. Before anything else, I wanna assess where you're currently at in regard to dance. It's a standard thing. I do it with all of my students."

Chanyeol balks. "I'm… really bad?"

"You can't be _that_ bad." Jongin takes his hand, leads him back toward the center of the room. "You're just being too hard on yourself."

Jongin turns and calls his class to attention the way any good teacher would, and Chanyeol feels flustered by the sudden attention being directed toward Jongin and him by proxy. "Now that we're all done stretching, let's work on our box step. It's incredibly basic and it's the overall foundation of waltzing—I'll give instructions as I move, and I want everyone to follow my pattern, okay? Get with your partners and decide who's going to lead."

When Jongin turns back to Chanyeol, he makes the decision for him. "I want you to lead," he says. He takes both of Chanyeol's hands and brings one around to rest somewhere around the middle of his back. With the other hand, he twines their fingers together and extends their arms just a little bit. Chanyeol feels like he could faint. "It'll help you build some confidence. Learning how to box step is easy. How bad at dancing can you possibly be?"

A set of basic instructions for everyone and twenty minutes later, Jongin decides he is, in fact, bad at dancing.

"Alright," Jongin starts after he's been stepped on for the fifteenth time, sucking in a sharp breath. Chanyeol's ridiculously clumsy and he's ridiculously patient. "Let's try a different approach."

He lets go of Chanyeol, moves out of his grasp, but when Chanyeol drops his arms, Jongin shakes his head and resituates them in their previous position. He looks as if he's holding on to someone invisible. "I want you to pretend like you have a partner, and once you get the first four steps down, you'll get your teacher privileges back. I think me being near you is making you more nervous."

"Hey, you're the one who wouldn't believe me when I said I was bad at dancing," Chanyeol retorts. Left foot, right foot, sidestep… Chanyeol moves his left foot back, and Jongin sticks a leg out to stop him. 

"Right foot back. Try it again."

"Why do I have to repeat the whole process every time I mess up?" he whines. It's not a good look when you're a grown man and you're whining about anything, but dancing is a struggle, and it's an even bigger struggle when it involves a gorgeous teacher who's bent on making sure he's actually doing this right. "You said box stepping was easy."

Jongin's lips twitch up into a small smile. "For some," he teases, but it's lighthearted. He raises his arms as if he's got an invisible partner of his own. "Watch me. Copy and repeat everything I do." Left foot, right foot, sidestep, right foot back, left foot back, sidestep. It's fluid and graceful, completely effortless.

Chanyeol takes in a slow breath. Jongin does it again just to help him out once more, moves slowly so Chanyeol's eyes can follow his steps with ease. Left foot, right foot... sidestep, right foot back, left foot back... sidestep. He stops and hesitates, glances up at Jongin to see if he'd made a mistake, but Jongin beams at him, claps his hands together and draws near to praise him. "You did it! Twenty minutes in and you know how to lead a box step. See? It's not hard at all."

Despite himself, Chanyeol grins, proud of his own progress. Maybe he doesn't suck at this after all. "What now? What else do we do?"

"We do this over and over again until we're completely sick of it," Jongin says, watching Chanyeol in earnest. Chanyeol gives him a long look, and he only laughs in response. "That's how you learn anything related to dance: repetition. Come on, there's four classes. You had to know the first class was going to be boring."

"I knew it would be a little boring, but…" As Chanyeol looks at Jongin (who's all smiles and pretty, pretty eyes) he decides it could be worse. He could've actually ended up with an old and grumpy dance instructor who walks around with a yardstick. 

"But what?"

 _But you being my teacher makes it enjoyable_ is what Chanyeol wants to say. He doesn't, of course. It's too forward. Too suggestive.

"Nothing. I'm... glad I'm here, actually."

Jongin's smile broadens. His eyes crescent with it. "I'm glad you're here too. Now, are you ready to practice your box step a hundred more times?"

Chanyeol feels a world of gratification when Jongin closes the distance between them, takes Chanyeol's hands and places them back where they belong on his body. He's even cuter up close. "I am," he says. He shuffles his feet, grins sheepishly. "Teach away, _songsaenim_."

\--

Chanyeol's legs are sore by the time he gets home. He's giddy, dazed, all big smiles and pleasant thoughts about his gorgeous instructor. Once he makes it to the sofa, he collapses, sighs happily, rolls over onto his back and stares up at the ceiling. It's a good day to be alive.

His roommate—Kyungsoo, his best friend, his personal chef, his shoulder to whine on—peeks around the corner. "What are you so thrilled about?"

"Kim Jongin," Chanyeol says, waving his hand through the air. "He's… wow."

"You look lovesick," Kyungsoo notes. He makes his way past Chanyeol and scrunches his nose as he takes him in. "Disgusting. What do you want for dinner?" 

Chanyeol only sighs again, happy and light. He's too far gone to even think about what he wants to eat. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and turns to walk the rest of the way to the kitchen. "I'm making spicy food," he calls. "So spicy you won't be able to handle it."

Kim Jongin. Chanyeol mouths his name, closes his eyes. He wonders if Jongin likes spicy food.

\--

"You're in a good mood," Jongin greets. Chanyeol's early for his second lesson. He'd made it here before the elderly couples, so that means he's _really_ early. He grins at Jongin and sets his water bottle down as he walks inside.

"Decided to go out for a walk. Was gonna go back home and change, but I decided to come straight here."

Jongin gives him a once-over, smiles like he's amused when he sees his casual attire. Chanyeol's in a predictable outfit that consists of a dark hoodie, dark jeans, dark boots. It's his ensemble at least four times a week and he's proud of it. "I can tell. You sure boots are good choice for waltzing on a studio floor? You're gonna be squeaking all over the place."

"Yeah, well," Chanyeol returns, and no, he hadn't thought it through, but it's nice to know Jongin's doing his thinking for him. "You know. Boots are good for cold weather. Chilly fall winds and all that."

"It's warm outside, Chanyeol-ssi."

"Stop correcting me," he complains, voice lilting up into a whine. It makes Jongin laugh, so it's worth it. "What's on today's agenda?"

"We're switching roles. You led last time. I'll be leading this time. Everyone else is going to switch roles too." Jongin sits on the floor, starts doing a series of stretches he must normally do between classes. Chanyeol mindlessly sits down with him. "That means you don't have to do as much worrying today. Following is a little easier than leading."

Chanyeol crinkles his nose. "Are we repeating the same steps?"

"Of course," Jongin says. He straightens out, snorts when he sees the look of dismay on Chanyeol's face. "No one said waltzing was the most interesting thing in the world, but it's easy to learn, and I'm making sure it's so ingrained within your psyche that it'll be impossible for you to mess up at your sister's wedding."

"My psyche," he repeats. "Sounds painful. We're not gonna do this for all four classes, are we?"

Jongin sticks a leg out and nudges him with his foot. "We're not, I promise. By the end of this class, everyone's going to know how to waltz without error, and we'll be doing it like a ballroom for the next lesson. My plans for the last lesson after that… well, you'll find out soon enough. I can't spoil everything for you."

"You sound like a villain who's plotting the downfall of his students," Chanyeol notes, but it's in jest, and Jongin gasps in playful offense and pushes him with his leg. Chanyeol, of course, only laughs in response. 

"I would never! I'm here to help you learn. You should start being nicer to me, you know." Jongin squints at him. "What if I decide to be a mean teacher and make an example out of you in front of the class?"

Chanyeol glances at him. Jongin's pouting while he talks about the nonexistent punishment he's going to inflict upon him. "You're pouting," he verbalizes. He wants to lean over and kiss it away—or maybe he wants Jongin to keep pouting. He doesn't know. 

Jongin seems surprised to have that pointed out. He reaches up and touches his own lips, but they pull into a light smile he can't decipher the meaning behind just a second later. "Were you staring at my lips?"

"No," Chanyeol says. His ears feel hot. The room itself feels hot. Maybe it really is warm outside. "Just an observation. It's noticeable."

"People don't usually tell me when I'm pouting," Jongin starts, stretching a leg out and bending to touch his toes, "so you were staring at my lips."

Chanyeol opens his mouth to protest again, cheeks warm, but one of the elderly couples in the class enters the studio room before he can, bowing their heads and making Jongin bounce back up onto his feet in his rush to make his way over and greet them. He's not sure if he's grateful for the interruption or disappointed, really.

Jongin's time ends up occupied by the older woman of the couple, and Chanyeol smiles while he watches her pinch Jongin's cheek and say something about _you're such a handsome young man_ and _you remind me of my husband when he was younger_ and he can't believe he's feeling jealous of a grandmother. 

Even from a distance, he's pretty. He's broad yet lithe and tall and Chanyeol wonders what he'd look like wearing one of his hoodies. More people file in and all Chanyeol can think about is Jongin, how kind he's been to him so far, how keen he is on making sure what he's learning actually sticks. He's so sweet. He's so genuine.

He really wants to kiss Jongin.

"Earth to Chanyeol-ssi."

Chanyeol startles. "Sorry, you were saying?"

"I was wondering why you were still on the floor," Jongin replies, extending a hand and offering Chanyeol a look that's more than amused. He'd wandered back over and Chanyeol hadn't even noticed. "I was stretching because I had a different class before this one, but you don't have to until everyone shows up."

Chanyeol takes his hand, clears his throat because he's a little embarrassed. He's daydreaming about a crush in the presence of said crush. It's like he's sixteen all over again. "I didn't wanna just… loom over you. While you were stretching, I mean. I know you're not stretching anymore, but it was functional five minutes ago. It's polite to sit with someone else who's sitting." 

He can't stop talking. Jongin looks endeared. 

For a moment, Jongin hesitates, glances away and pauses like he's going to say something important, but the last couple walks in and pulls his attention elsewhere before he can. He smiles shyly and pats Chanyeol's arm before he turns to greet them too.

Chanyeol's never wanted to hear someone's unspoken thoughts so bad in his life. 

Everyone gathers and Jongin tells them they'll be swapping positions today, trying their partner's role. It'll help them better understand how to help each other move and make waltzing all the more fluid, he says. He catches Chanyeol's gaze while he talks, and Chanyeol sees that same shy smile appear before he looks forward again. His heart thrums.

"Your five minutes to stretch start now," Jongin says. He steps over to Chanyeol, sits down in front of him, begins doing lighter stretches for the lesson ahead. Chanyeol likes to think he stretches near him so they can talk, not just because they're partners. Maybe Jongin likes his company just as much as Chanyeol enjoys his.

"I can't bend the same way you do. I'm not flexible and I definitely haven't been dancing my whole life, so there's that," Chanyeol remarks, and as he struggles to reach even his ankles, he figures that's believable. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" Jongin asks. He's nearly doing a split. "This? Oh, it takes practice, but pure flexibility is a little genetic. I don't think you'd be able to do something like this all that easily."

"Why not?"

Jongin simpers and nods toward Chanyeol's legs. "You're bow-legged."

"Were you staring at my knees?" Chanyeol asks, tone raised to mock Jongin's earlier question, and Jongin covers his mouth with his palm to silence the giggle it induces. He really likes making Jongin laugh. "I know that. I'm just wondering if I'd ever be able to learn how to do something involving that level of flexibility."

"With hard work and a lot of practice, sure." Just as easily as he'd settled into his current pose, Jongin slips out of it and folds his legs. He watches Chanyeol thoughtfully, curiously. "I'm a good teacher, so you'd be seeing me to learn how to do… anything related to dance, really."

"Would I?" He's not looking at Jongin while he tries to fold his torso down against his right leg, but he's wearing a soft grin, and he knows Jongin can see it. "Why's that?"

Jongin huffs. "Because," he insists. Chanyeol raises an eyebrow at him. Jongin rolls his eyes. "I'm already teaching you how to waltz, so if you wanna learn how to do anything else, I might as well teach you that too. You're my student, aren't you?"

"No cheating on my dance instructor with other dance instructors, got it," Chanyeol jokes, and he snickers when Jongin chides him with a light slap on the arm. 

"You know what I mean. You're familiar with me and I'm familiar with you. I'm your teacher from now on." 

Chanyeol looks up when he changes poses, meets Jongin's gaze. "I'm gonna say I'm your favorite student," he declares. Jongin doesn't deny it. That's a win for him. "Your only favorite student. Your favorite student across every single class you teach and every lesson you've ever given. Your—"

"Alright, you're my favorite student," Jongin says, sighing with it. Chanyeol beams, satisfied. "But only because you showed up to a waltzing class without a partner. You're comedic relief."

Chanyeol takes that as Jongin subtly saying he's funny. He's pleased to hear it.

Comedic relief becomes relative fifty minutes in. He's still stepping all over Jongin's toes and it'd be funny if they were on a sitcom, but they're not. He's flustered and awkward and Jongin leading their waltz is only helping minimally. The other pairs around them don't seem to be having anywhere near the amount of trouble he's having.

"Your palm is sweaty," Jongin comments, releasing Chanyeol's hand and turning it around so he can see for himself. "Personally, I find that cute, but I doubt your plus one at your sister's wedding is going to like it. Don't be so nervous, okay? This is easy, remember? Let's try it again."

Cute. Jongin thinks he's cute.

"I don't have a plus one," Chanyeol retorts. He wipes his hand on his hoodie before he twines his fingers with Jongin's and lets himself be led once more. "I'm just hoping someone at the wedding'll let me dance with them so all these lessons don't go to waste."

"You don't have a plus one?" One step back, one sidestep. Jongin looks genuinely surprised.

"I'm single." Chanyeol shrugs a shoulder, bashful. His shoes squeak against the floor when he moves. "Too scared to ask anyone to come with me as my plus one."

Jongin leads him forward, glances down at his feet to make sure they're in the right position before he sidesteps again. "Well, I think that's ridiculous. You're handsome. I'm sure you won't have a hard time finding someone who wants to go with you."

 _I'm thinking about asking the guy in front of me right now,_ he nearly says, but he pushes that thought down and turns the spotlight on Jongin instead. "What about you? Are you single?"

"That's a really forward question." Jongin eyes are full of mirth. "Why? Who's asking?"

"Me," Chanyeol returns. He doesn't realize the implication of that reply until Jongin's eyes widen exponentially, and he coughs, ignores the heat that threatens to make its way across his cheeks. "Out of curiosity, I mean. I was curious. Since we're on the subject."

They've stopped waltzing. Jongin realizes that a moment too late to avoid embarrassment, and he fixes his posture before he brings Chanyeol back into a calm rhythm again. His cheeks are pink and Chanyeol wants to kiss him. "I'm single. I haven't thought a whole lot about dating, I guess. I've dated before, but as of late…"

They move in sync. Chanyeol nods imploringly, takes another step with him. "Been too focused on work?"

"Something like that," Jongin sighs. "I don't know. It's crossed my mind over the past few days, though."

Chanyeol trips, nearly brings Jongin down with him before he regains his footing and apologizes to one of the nearby couples. "Really? Do you like anyone in particular?" he asks, unable to help himself. He straightens out and grins toothily at Jongin, dismisses the way Jongin looks at him with mild concern over his spontaneous flail.

Only when Jongin's made sure his legs won't give out again does he fix both of their postures, start another box. "Maybe," he answers, watching Chanyeol with an expression he can't read. "It depends."

"On?"

"Whether or not he likes me too."

Jongin's phone chimes in his pocket. They're down to the last five minutes of class. It's time for post-dance stretching.

He separates from Chanyeol to tell the class just that, polite and sweet as ever, reminds them of the stretches they're supposed to do after having moved around so much. He stops on his way back to help one of the older couples maintain positions that aren't too hard on their joints, so Chanyeol starts without him. 

When he looks over and finds Chanyeol looking at him, he smiles warmly, lingers for a moment before he returns his gaze to the couple he's aiding. Chanyeol thinks he sees a faint shade of pink dust its way over the bridge of his nose. Maybe he's imagining it.

He makes it home twenty minutes later, heart full of want and a newfound trace of hope.

\--

Yoora, as always, is an absolute menace.

"You did this on purpose," Chanyeol says over lunch, standing with his abrupt realization and pointing an accusatory finger at his sister. Yoora doesn't even notice. She's too busy scrolling through wedding details on her phone. "Holy shit, you did this on purpose. You know he's my type and you made me sign up for lessons on purpose."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Yoora retorts, but she's smiling. She turns her phone around and shows Chanyeol a picture of a flower arrangement. It's composed of what looks like red roses and white chrysanthemums. "What do you think? I'm having one of these placed at every table for the reception."

"They're gorgeous," he grumbles, sitting back down and folding his arms. He slouches out of spite. "You're trying to set me up with your dance instructor so I'll have a plus one at your wedding. That's so morally corrupt."

"Our parents are gonna ask you why you're still single if you don't have a plus one." Yoora looks up from her phone. Her eyes mean cold, sisterly business. "It's my wedding, Chanyeol. I'm not having my little brother interrogated over his lackluster love life at my wedding. It'll make me look bad."

Chanyeol whines in the back of his throat, stares at the ceiling in misery. "You're so mean to me. Just grin and bear the interrogation. I can't ask him out. Have you seen him? He's so…" 

"Out of your league? I know."

"Thanks," he says. 

"Come on, Chanyeol. He's single, you're single, what's the harm? He's sweet and so are you. You're a perfect match. Even if I didn't have a wedding for which you specifically need a mandatory plus one to attend, I'd still be introducing you to him." Yoora sets her phone down, gives him a sincere look. "I know you like him. Give it a shot."

Chanyeol can't say no to that. It's too reasonable. He makes a noise of mild discontent, slouches down even further. His entire body's on its way to being beneath the table. "How do I ask him out?"

"Spend the next two years gathering a dowry of cows and approach his family for permission," Yoora replies. Her attention's already back on her phone. Chanyeol rolls his eyes. "How do you think you should ask him out? Just talk to him. Be yourself."

"I really like him," Chanyeol mumbles. It's genuine enough to make Yoora look at him in vague surprise. "I really, really like him. I wanna get to know him. Not just for the wedding, and not just because he's cute. He's more than cute. I think… I actually wanna ask him out."

Yoora looks shocked. He doesn't know if he should take that as a compliment or an insult. "You like him that much?"

"He's nice," he continues, sitting up straighter, "and he's sweet and funny and kind. He's been crazy patient with me, too. Do you have any idea how many times I've stepped on him over the last two classes? Fuck, he's amazing. I wanna ask him out. I wanna take him out. I wanna take him to the wedding."

Yoora smiles. "Well, my job as matchmaker is done, isn't it? You only have two classes left, right? Better figure out a way to charm him soon."

"I've gotta flirt with him," Chanyeol breathes. He stands up again, takes his bag and slings it over his shoulder. "I've gotta flirt with him so much. I've gotta make him swoon. I've gotta—shit, my third lesson's today. I'm gonna get a haircut and I'm gonna flirt with him."

"Shave your head," Yoora calls after him as he dashes away. "I'm sure he'll love it!"

\--

Chanyeol doesn't shave his head.

He does, however, get his hair cut and styled. His fringe had been too long, too heavy on his eyes, too messy. He's sporting hair that's been swept into a comma and had way too much effort put into it for a simple lesson, but he wants to look good, and he wants Jongin to think he looks good. 

He shows up even earlier than he had for the previous lesson, makes his way inside with tentative steps. The studio room's empty save for Jongin. 

Jongin's covered in sweat, breathing hard, bending into stretches that look more rigorous than some of the exercise routines Chanyeol does at the gym. He catches sight of Chanyeol in one of the wall mirrors and beams, turns around to say a breathless hello. He must've just finished up with another class.

"You're early again, huh? That's good! I wanted to talk to you about something. I'm…" Jongin falters when he looks at Chanyeol, gaze snagging on his hair first. Chanyeol, for all the confidence he doesn't have around Jongin, grins in a manner that could be perceived as self-satisfied.

"You look good," he finally adds, still partially out of breath. He makes a vague gesture to his own forehead, illustrates what he likes most about it. "It's nice. The shape is nice. Did you get it cut?"

"It was getting pretty long," Chanyeol reasons.

Jongin assesses him from head to toe, nods once. "Well," he starts, wearing a light smile, "as handsome as you look, I still need to talk to you about something. It has to do with an assignment I'm giving the entire class."

Chanyeol wants to flop down atop the floor at the mere thought of being given homework. It must show in his expression, because Jongin laughs quietly when he sees the change in his posture. "I'm not making you write a paper on the history of the waltz, so relax. I want you to come up with a dance on your own. Choreography, if you will."

Jongin's voice is gentle, but his resolve is clearly steeled. Chanyeol stares at him in a way he hopes will display how absurd such an assignment would be for someone as clumsy as him. 

"You want me to what?"

"Come up with a dance on your own," Jongin repeats. "Everyone has to. The other pairs are going to get to come up with a brief dance on their own too, but since I'm your partner, you have to come up with it alone. My help would be too much of an advantage."

Chanyeol is a mature adult. No matter how much he wants to spread himself all over the floor and complain, he doesn't. "...But that's not fair," slithers out of his mouth regardless, lips pushed into a pout.

"It is, and you'll see why." Jongin brushes past Chanyeol to get his own water bottle. He tips his head back, takes a series of long swigs from it. Chanyeol stares at him far longer than he really ought to. "Even though you're coming up with it, you still have to practice it with me. That means you'll have me here to give you advice when you need it and help you refine any moves you want to do. The rest of the class isn't getting that."

"So the tradeoff is me coming up with the dance itself on my own," Chanyeol replies, clicking his tongue. "I can work with that. It's gonna suck and I'm gonna embarrass you, but I can still work with that."

Jongin laughs softly, pads over to where his bag's situated in the corner of the room. "You're not giving yourself enough credit. I know you thought you were messing up a lot last time, but you stepped on me way less than you did during the first lesson. That's improvement, right?"

"Yeah, but…" And when Chanyeol turns to face Jongin again, Jongin is shirtless, exchanging the top he'd been wearing for a clean, dry tee from his bag. Chanyeol coughs and promptly looks away, face burning. "I mean… I'm still… you know."

"You're still what?"

Chanyeol glances back over. Jongin's pulling the new shirt over his head and his waist is right there and he's really, really hot. He's hot enough as it is with his clothes on, and now he's seen him without a shirt. What universal force is overseeing the testing of Chanyeol's sanity? "I don't know. Not good?"

"I think you're good. You're just not very confident when it comes to this. That's understandable, but a lack of confidence doesn't make you bad." 

"You're disgustingly kind and encouraging, you know that?"

When Chanyeol works up the courage to look in Jongin's direction yet again, he's fully dressed and smiling at him like he's delighted to hear that. "It's my job to be disgustingly kind and encouraging. Even more so when it comes to clumsy tall guys who need to learn how to dance in order to avoid being banished from a familial wedding."

Chanyeol snorts. "Would I be getting this much favoritism if it weren't for my precarious situation?"

"Maybe," Jongin answers, but he doesn't elaborate beyond that. He settles down on the floor, allows himself some time to relax before the arrival of his next class. Chanyeol, just as he had the previous time, sits down with him.

"There's going to be a dress code for our last class together," Jongin tacks on after a beat of silence. He leans over one of his legs and peers up at Chanyeol thoughtfully. "Since it's the day and everyone's presenting their own waltz choreography, I always encourage the class to dress nicely. You should come in with your hair styled like that. It looks good."

"What, you don't like my hair when it's messy and hasn't been brushed for four days?" Chanyeol places a hand over his heart, feigns overt offense. "Split ends isn't formal enough for you?"

Jongin snickers. "It makes you look like a puppy," he says. Chanyeol's stomach floods with butterflies in response. "An unkempt puppy. It's not too bad of a look."

"I'm taking that as you saying you like the way I look."

"That's all you're choosing to gather from that?"

"It's a compliment by proxy," Chanyeol retorts. Jongin looks like he's trying not to laugh. It makes his heart soar. "What about you? Are you dressing up for our last class together?"

"Of course. I want to look nice too." Jongin stretches his arms above his head, leans to one side. "It'd be pretty funny if I showed up in clothes like these with my entire class dressed in formal wear."

Chanyeol watches Jongin stretch, admires the way he's able to bend with ease. His shirt lifts just enough for him to have a second peek at his waist. He's so dreamy. "You'd look good no matter what you showed up in," he says. "Honestly. You're pretty."

This, for whatever reason, makes Jongin's posture falter. He stares at Chanyeol with wide eyes—as if he'd been shocked to hear a word like that come out of his mouth. "You think I'm pretty?"

Confidence gives way to sheepishness. Chanyeol looks down and traces a swirly pattern over the floor with the tip of his finger. "The older lady from the last class thought you were pretty too."

"That's different," Jongin says. He's smiling when Chanyeol looks up, head tipped to the side. "Besides, she didn't call me pretty. She said I was handsome."

"Well, you're handsome too, but…" Chanyeol pauses, then, stops his own train of thought and backtracks. _That's different,_ Jongin had said. He fixes his gaze on Jongin, eyes full of playful intent. "Hold on. You said it was different. How's it different?"

It's satisfying to see surprise and embarrassment play out across Jongin's expression all at the same time. "It's not," he corrects, but he drops his gaze, avoids Chanyeol's eyes. He's blushing. His cheeks are pink. Chanyeol's going to faint. "It's not different. I misspoke."

"I wouldn't mind if it were," comes his easy response. It's said with all the faux bravery in the world. Chanyeol holds to his courageous demeanor that's so close to cracking, so close to giving way. "You're too pretty for me to mind."

"Is that the only reason you wouldn't mind?" Jongin asks. His gaze is set firm on his hand from where he's currently leaning to reach his toes. He won't look at Chanyeol on account of his own shyness, and that only emboldens Chanyeol even more.

"Not at all," he returns, grinning softly. "You're nice. And funny. And you've put up with me stepping all over you for two classes already, so you're obviously way too kind for your own good."

Jongin lets out a quiet laugh. His shoulders relax from where they'd been tense, and when he does turn back toward Chanyeol, his cheeks are still warm. He's even prettier when he's flustered. "You're bold, Chanyeol-ssi."

Chanyeol grins. His face is probably redder than Jongin's, truth be told. "I know. Wanna talk about choreography after class?"

"You're supposed to come up with it on your own," Jongin reminds him. He's still smiling. "I'm only going to be there to help you move the way you want to."

"That's more than good enough for me," Chanyeol says, and he really means it.

\--

His third lesson comes easier than the second. This time, they're practicing as if they're in a ballroom, and it's easy to hold Jongin the way he's supposed to and sweep him around the room, easy to follow the music he has playing while the couples around him do the same.

The errors come and go. He slips once and ruins their rhythm, but he recovers before Jongin can correct him for it. Jongin looks pleased to see him taking charge, and as Chanyeol holds his hand and thinks about how nice it'd be to dance with him like this outside of this room, his missteps and mistakes melt away as if they'd never been there in the first place.

Waltzing is easy, Chanyeol realizes. Meeting Jongin's eyes while they dance and seeing him look away with a smile is what makes it easy. 

Jongin doesn't instruct quite as much this class. Everyone knows what they're doing enough to not need it nearly as much anymore. That leaves Chanyeol occupying more of his time. Chanyeol, naturally, is extremely grateful for this development.

"You're doing an amazing job," Jongin tells him in the middle of their lesson, squeezing his hand. "Where was all this confidence during the last two classes? You've only stepped on me once."

Chanyeol steps back and ropes Jongin in a little dramatically, pulls a soft gasp of surprise from him. It's not like he's without bashfulness, but Jongin turning red and occasionally smacking him on the arm for doing things he doesn't expect makes him feel better. "Who knows? Maybe all your talent's finally rubbing off on me."

"Or maybe you finally stopped doubting yourself. Even clumsiness can be cured by self-assurance, can't it?"

"Your fatal mistake is assuming I'm not going back to being clumsy as soon as these lessons are over."

Jongin laughs, radiant and bright. It's a beautiful sight. Twice as beautiful up close. "I hope my lessons stick well enough for you to make it through your sister's wedding," Jongin says. He sidesteps with Chanyeol, shifts the position of his palm. "Your future plus one's going to be really impressed."

"Yeah," Chanyeol replies, mind swimming with images of Jongin in a nice suit, Jongin dancing with him at his sister's wedding. An elegant setting like that would be perfect for someone as stunning as Jongin, wouldn't it? "I hope so."

The last ten minutes of class come far sooner than anticipated. Chanyeol listens as Jongin tells the class that they'll be expected to come up with a brief dance of their own (only a minute, he promises) and that everyone who successfully does so will be treated to a pizza party. Pizza is always a solid force of motivation, and Chanyeol's up for the challenge. 

A minute long. He only has to come up with a waltz that's a minute long. How hard can it be? He'll have Jongin dancing with him, so even if the choreography itself is bad, it'll look good on account of his partner.

He knows he can do this. It's for his sister's wedding. It's for Jongin, too.

"Formal wear will earn you a second serving," Jongin promises the class in a teasing tone, and when everyone else chuckles, Chanyeol does too. "I'll give you loads of extra credit if you come dressed nicely. You get to pick your own soundtrack, too. Does that sound good?"

The couples around him agree. Jongin nods with them. "You know your assignment, then. You have a week to come up with it. Don't just strictly stick to traditional waltzing—have fun! Do whatever you like. As long as it's a dance, I'll count it." 

As Jongin tells his students goodbye, to have a good week, to dress warmly in weather that's slowly growing colder, couples begin to file out one by one. Chanyeol remains. He clasps his hands behind his back and rolls back and forth on the balls of his feet, looks over at Jongin with a light grin.

"Wanna help me figure out how I'm gonna do this without embarrassing myself?"

"You made it through today's class just fine without embarrassing yourself," Jongin says, tsking once. "But because you're asking so politely, I'll help. The choreography still has to be your own. What do you want to do?"

"Something cool," Chanyeol answers. "Something that's super cool and romantic and breathtaking." He sticks his arms out and does a ridiculous spin, tossing his head back as if he's a practiced dancer.

Jongin raises an eyebrow at him, entertained. "Romantic?"

"Duh. Waltzing is romantic. Dancing in general is romantic, don't you think? I wanna do something romantic." Chanyeol gives Jongin a look that's too suggestive to be anything but purposefully comedic. "If you're up for that, of course."

Jongin tries to hold his laughter back, but he breaks into a smile regardless, stepping forward and gesturing toward the room around them. "Illustrate the dance you have in mind."

Chanyeol huffs, squares his shoulders, moves to the other end of the room. "I want it to start here," he says. "I wanna make a circle around the room the way people do when they ballroom dance in movies. I don't think this is part of ballroom dancing, but I wanna twirl you, too. You'll have to teach me how to help you do it, but it'll be fun. Spinny shit is always fun. After that… I dunno. Can I finish by bowing you back?"

The way he's being looked at with both amusement and concern does nothing to dampen his spirits. Chanyeol only grins at Jongin again, puffs his chest out like he means business. "It's not all that complex."

"Well, we were moving around the room while we were waltzing today, so perhaps making a circle won't be too hard… twirling me, though?" Jongin lets out a snort as he approaches Chanyeol, takes his hand so they can get back into proper formation. "Are you sure about that?"

"Why wouldn't I be? That's the cool part of the dance. I can't do anything cool, but you can, so I'm utilizing you." 

"Utilize me, then. What am I here for if not that?"

There's no music, so Chanyeol leads Jongin to an imaginary beat he's conjuring up inside his head as they go. Slow steps the first time around, a gentle circle to make sure he doesn't slip. He tries to remember everything he does so he'll be able to repeat it again, takes glances at himself in the mirrors as they go. 

It's surprisingly simple. Refreshingly simple, honestly. Chanyeol stops in the center of the room, counts the beats in his head. "This is where I'd twirl you," he says, letting go of Jongin just to make a spinning motion with his finger. "Or where you'd twirl while making it look like I'm helping you when I'm actually not."

"You'll be helping me balance while I do," Jongin laughs. He takes Chanyeol's hand, raises it above his own head while he propels himself into a spin on the soft pad of his foot. When he stops, his hair's messy and he's smiling from where he's looking up at Chanyeol. "Like that."

Chanyeol really wants to kiss him. 

"Like that," he repeats, in a bit of a daze. "Can you do it again?"

Jongin does it again. He spins around a few times before he flattens his foot and returns to his previous position, twining his fingers with Chanyeol's so they can settle back into a waltz. "Is that what you want?"

Chanyeol nods, resists the urge to run his fingers through Jongin's hair to fix it. He doesn't even want to fix it. He just wants to run his fingers through his hair. "A simple waltz around the room with a twirl and a bow at the end. Is that good enough to pass your class, _songsaenim?_ "

"You heard what I said, didn't you?" Jongin directs him back to the front of the room, rests his arm atop his shoulder. "I'll count anything as long as it's a dance."

"Then let's try the whole routine," Chanyeol says, grinning down at him. "It's crazy simple, isn't it?"

Just as before, Chanyeol creates a beat in his mind, sways and sweeps Jongin around the room with methodical intent. The circle's not perfect and it probably won't be even if they practice it repeatedly because he himself still isn't all that good at dancing, but it's enough, and he likes it. He likes moving with Jongin, likes seeing how happy he looks to witness his learning process.

They make it back to the center of the room. Chanyeol takes Jongin's hand, holds it loosely while he twirls, and when he stops, returns to his position, Chanyeol turns on his heel and dips him down with fluidity that's too good to be anything but a fluke. There's no way he's replicating that ever again.

"Wow," Jongin remarks, clinging to Chanyeol as they straighten back out. He sounds breathless. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"I didn't." Chanyeol regards him with a surprised look, glances down at his own hands and flexes his fingers as if he's in shock. "Look, too much of your talent's rubbing off on me. Now you've made me an unstoppable menace. I'm a force of nature and it's all your fault."

Jongin rolls his eyes, smacks Chanyeol's shoulder (which only makes him snicker) for the tenth time that evening. "You're ridiculous. One more time, okay? I wanna see if you can do it again."

They do, in fact, try it one more time. Chanyeol leads Jongin around the room once more, follows steps he's starting to memorize, follows a pattern. When they reach the center, he helps Jongin spin, pulls him back into his hold, steps out and dips him down again. 

If they were close before in their waltzing posture, they're nearly twice as close with the slow motion of a dip. Chanyeol is inches from Jongin's face and Jongin looks as dazed as he feels. 

"Wow," Jongin says again, and he doesn't even move to bring himself up.

Chanyeol raises him back up and takes a slow breath. Composure only goes so far when he's slow dancing with his gorgeous instructor who's aware of the fact that he thinks he's pretty. "If we keep this up, we're gonna have to kiss at the end to solidify the whole romantic aspect," he jokes. 

"Chanyeol," Jongin starts, hand still twined with his, eyes light. "Do you want to kiss me?"

If they were moving, Chanyeol would've collapsed. They're not moving, though, so he's helpless. Totally and utterly helpless. "Yes," he says, breath stolen by the very thought. "Since the moment I first met you."

Jongin, as kind and sweet as he is, obliges him.

The world goes dizzy. Chanyeol doesn't know what to think when there's plush lips on his, soft and warm and pillowy. He drops his arm and winds it round Jongin's waist to bring him closer, kisses him back with fervency and holds him close. 

It's caught somewhere between tender and passionate, delicate and firm. Everything around them dissolves into nothing and Chanyeol never wants to stop kissing him. He's thought about it at least a hundred times, imagined it a hundred times. The real thing is far better than anything his lovesick mind could've created and he never wants it to end.

Even so, they part for air. "Wow," Chanyeol breathes, echoing Jongin's earlier response. Jongin smiles and Chanyeol's captivated by it. He wants to kiss him again.

"You're doing a lot of thinking about kissing me when you could actually be kissing me," Jongin comments. His hand rests on Chanyeol's nape, fingers toying with his hair. 

"Oh, he's a mind reader, too." Chanyeol tilts his head and pretends to swoon, only breaks character when Jongin cackles and hits his chest. "Aren't I being a really bad student right now?"

"Yes," is Jongin's reply. "And I like that." He pulls Chanyeol back in and slots their lips together once more. 

Chanyeol gets lost within it, lost within sweet kisses that slowly give way to something warmer, hotter. Jongin keeps him close with arms wrapped around his neck and catches his bottom lip between his teeth; Chanyeol isn't even momentarily brought out of the haze of kissing his dance instructor until Jongin's back hits the nearest wall and Chanyeol's crowding him against it. 

"You have no idea," he says, pausing only to groan when Jongin suckles his lower lip and urges him closer, "how long I've wanted to do this." Chanyeol grips his waist with heated intent and slips his tongue into his mouth, lets the sound Jongin makes in response reverberate through his bones. 

He can't speak—not anymore. Speaking takes away from valuable time during which he could be kissing Jongin. They're entirely alone, entirely isolated. His class had been Jongin's last class of the day and no one's going to disturb them. Jongin cups his jaw and sighs against his lips, runs his fingers through his hair, messes it up in doing so. Chanyeol has a feeling he'd done it on purpose. 

They kiss until Chanyeol can barely feel his own lips, and then they kiss a little more. Jongin gives his hair a gentle tug and Chanyeol presses in until there's no space left between them, until Jongin's trapped between him and the wall. Every soft, quiet noise Jongin makes is music, a melody without rhythm. Chanyeol's shameless in the way he rests a palm on the small of his back and sucks on his tongue. 

Little resounds from them aside from Jongin's vocal encouragements and the wet smacks that accompany all forms of kissing. When they separate for the second time, Jongin is breathless. Chanyeol meets his gaze and sees how glassy his eyes are, how glazed they look. He wonders if his eyes look like that too.

This time, he's the one who pulls Jongin in and delves deeper.

Jongin is pliant beneath his hands, won't release him for so much as a second. Even when Chanyeol skirts his lips over his cheek and mouths down the edge of his jaw, he clings, mussing Chanyeol's hair that much more and praising him by way of low gasps and shaky breaths. Chanyeol rewards every sound with longer kisses, grazes of his teeth, moves back up so their mouths can meet again.

"Chanyeol," Jongin pants, pleading. He's near melting from where he's braced against the wall, face flushed and clothes borderline disheveled. Chanyeol's certain he himself doesn't look any better. He lets himself be drawn into a needy kiss and slips a hand down to grip Jongin's thigh, brings it up just enough to roll his body against Jongin's. The room is hot and he's starting to feel lightheaded, but the way Jongin gives and gives and _gives_ beneath him makes him forget about it.

Kissing turns into making out, and making out turns into a slow grind. When Chanyeol fits a hand beneath the waistband of Jongin's too-tight bottoms and curls his fingers round his cock, Jongin shudders, digs his nails into his shoulder in want. He doesn't stop pleading, doesn't stop asking for Chanyeol to touch him, kiss him, to do anything as long as it feels good. 

Chanyeol does just that. 

Jongin's hips cant with every shift of his palm, every lengthy kiss they share that inevitably becomes more of an exchange of tongue and saliva than anything else. Chanyeol's too out of it to catch the way Jongin undoes the front of his jeans with deft fingers, and by the time he's returning the favor, rolling his thumb just beneath the head of his cock, Chanyeol's too far gone to do anything but press his forehead against Jongin's and groan.

They fall apart just like that, Jongin's lips against his, quick breaths and moans shared between them. Jongin comes first, too worked up and sensitive to hold on any longer. He pushes through the height of his orgasm and strokes Chanyeol off like his life depends on it, presses warm kisses to his cheek and murmurs _I want you to feel good too_ and he crashes and burns until cum stains Jongin's fingers and neither of them can get enough air in their lungs to function.

The wall serves its purpose well. Chanyeol leans against Jongin because he can barely hold himself up, and Jongin leans against the wall because he's in the same situation. When Chanyeol bumps his nose against Jongin's in a show of tenderness and kisses him slowly, innocently, Jongin reciprocates. His lips are soft, kiss-swollen. Chanyeol hasn't had enough of him and he doesn't think he ever will, but for now, he can relax.

"I was supposed to ask this before we got to the impromptu handjobs, but..." With a fond look, Chanyeol simpers, presses his lips to the corner of his mouth. "Wanna be my plus one at my sister's wedding?"

"I was beginning to think you'd never work up the courage to ask," Jongin says, laughing softly. He's still breathless and it's cute enough to make Chanyeol wrap his arms around him for an embrace. "All that staring and you couldn't bring yourself to ask me one lousy question until now?"

"Is that a yes?" he teases. "That's a yes. I'm taking that as a yes." Chanyeol pulls back enough to fix Jongin's bottoms and then his own, mindful of the mess they'd both made. Jongin thinks faster than him. He's across the room in an instant to rummage through his bag, and Chanyeol's grateful to see him holding the shirt he discarded earlier as he returns. 

"It's a yes," Jongin finally affirms. He crinkles his nose as he wipes the mess off his own clothes, his own hand, repeats the same gesture with Chanyeol as he helps him clean up. "But you have to buy me dinner before you're allowed to deflower me for real."

Chanyeol draws Jongin back in as soon as he's done dirtying his used shirt, smiles against his lips when he kisses him chastely. "How'd you know I'm attracted to guys who use ridiculous words like deflower?" 

"You're really lucky you're cute," comes Jongin's murmured reply, but he kisses him right back, doesn't even bother hiding his grin. "I'll consider the wedding our first date."

"I'll take that," Chanyeol says. He lets go of Jongin with clear reluctance so he can get ready to go home. He'd rather stay and talk to Jongin about everything and nothing for the next two hours, but Jongin probably needs to get home too.

He's in the middle of bending down to fix his laces when Jongin crouches down with him, brushes his fingers through his hair a final time. "I'm looking forward to seeing you in formal wear for our last class… and at the wedding. I think you'd look really handsome in a nice dress shirt."

"You'd call me handsome even if I showed up in the same outfit I'm wearing today," Chanyeol retorts. It's meant to be an affectionate taunt, but as they both straighten out, Jongin doesn't deny it. Chanyeol's heart sings when Jongin gives him a parting kiss on the cheek.

"I would," Jongin agrees, lips pulling up into a gentle smile. "But show up in something nice for me anyways."

Chanyeol plans on it.

\--

When the day of their last class together arrives, Chanyeol doesn't feel near as hopeless as he thought he would. He's sporting a dress shirt and slacks and a nice pair of shoes he hasn't worn in at least two years, made light and happy by the notion of seeing Jongin, making him smile.

He doesn't show up early this time. Jongin had texted him not to. _We might have a repeat of our post-lesson activities from last time if I see you in formal wear without other people around,_ he'd said. Chanyeol had replied that such a turn of events would be absolutely fine, of course, but Jongin had insisted they behave. 

Jongin's already talking to one of the younger couples when Chanyeol steps into the studio. He's greeted by the smell of pizza, sees three boxes stacked up on a table in the corner. He's so tempted to steal a slice for the sole purpose of having Jongin scold him. Jongin's cute when he's annoyed.

He turns around, takes note of Jongin's appearance as he separates from the couple and approaches. He's in a white dress shirt (it contrasts the black one Chanyeol's wearing) and black slacks that make his legs look longer than they already are. His hair's beautifully windswept, eyes brown and pretty, lips soft and pink. He's breathtakingly perfect.

"Hey, beautiful. You come here often?" Chanyeol asks, poking his tongue out from between his teeth. Jongin shifts just out of Chanyeol's reach when he's nearly swept into a hug, attempting to repress a smile while he shakes his head.

"Not yet. You can hug me after we present our dance to the class. We're going first, by the way."

"Oh, I see. You wanna get the embarrassment that is me and my clumsiness out of the way. I understand." Chanyeol nods, pretends to be solemn. "I'll try not to ruin your flawless dancer image too much."

"You're ridiculous," Jongin laughs, pinching Chanyeol's side. "I want us to go first so you don't get nervous watching the other couples dance. We'll be fine. We practiced, remember?"

"Barely," Chanyeol snorts. "Most of the practice that occurred was me doing the routine alone in my apartment."

Jongin reaches up, fixes Chanyeol's hair just a little bit. It's styled the same way he'd had it done the last time around. "I didn't forget the routine," he promises, and his eyes shine pleasantly with it. "You can take me back to your apartment after we have our first date."

Chanyeol can't complain about that. 

The rest of the couples arrive before long. Jongin congratulates them all on having dressed formally and promises they'll receive extra credit on the basis of that—Chanyeol knows they're all getting through this class successfully no matter what, but hearing Jongin say that just to be encouraging is beyond adorable. He's beyond adorable.

"Chanyeol-ssi and I will be the first ones to go," Jongin tells the class, "so you'll all have an idea of how this works."

That's his cue. Chanyeol shifts over to where Jongin's standing, beams at all the other couples. He wonders if Jongin considers them a couple too.

The class disperses to various sides of the room when Jongin instructs them to do so. He turns, then, takes Chanyeol's hand, moves close. They both settle into proper posture and Chanyeol waits for the music to start before he begins to waltz.

True to his word, he'd practiced alone, and he's lighter on his feet than ever before as a result of it. He moves as though he's being carried by the wind and Jongin follows him gracefully, steps and turns and peers up at him in a way that has him melting, melting. It wouldn't be appropriate to kiss Jongin in the middle of their dance, but he wants to. Jongin is the reason he's capable of any of this in the first place. Jongin is beautiful and warm in his loose hold, captivating in every sense of the word. Chanyeol knows he himself is not the one being looked at by those around them while they dance. 

They return to the center, slip out of their poses. Jongin twirls beneath the guidance of his palm and Chanyeol sweeps him into a dip that'd make any dedicated romantic swoon. Jongin looks smitten from there to the moment where Chanyeol raises him back up, holds him even as the music stops. His eyes read the same way Chanyeol feels.

A short routine. It'd been slow and sweet. The rest of the class claps and offers praise once it becomes clear that they're done, and Chanyeol grins bashfully, holds Jongin's hand even as they move out of their waltzing pose. It wasn't much, but he's still proud of it. 

Easygoing, he thinks. Everything with Jongin is easygoing.

"There's a short, self-composed routine," Jongin says. He's speaking to the class, but he's still looking at Chanyeol. His gaze is honey and Chanyeol thinks he might be a little bit in love. "Who's next?"

\--

"I told you he'd be perfect for you." Yoora smacks him over the back of the head with the reception pamphlet she's holding, takes a brief seat beside Chanyeol. "I was right, wasn't I? You got to come to my wedding and you managed to snag a boyfriend along the way. You should be thanking me."

"You're still morally corrupt for setting me up without my knowledge," Chanyeol says, taking a slow sip of his champagne. "But I appreciate the gesture. Said boyfriend's been charming everyone here like crazy."

"Believe me, I know. You're the person he's charmed the most. I can see it in your eyes."

"He's just so dreamy," he sighs, laying his head down against the table. "We're on our first date right now."

Yoora squints. "You're using my wedding as first date material?"

"It was my idea," Jongin replies as he returns to the table, taking the chair on the other side of Chanyeol. He bows his head and smiles shyly once Yoora glances over. "I'm sorry if it was in poor taste. I figured it'd be motivation for him to try his absolute hardest in class."

"You didn't tell me that," Chanyeol whines. "I thought you just wanted us to have the luxury of free food on our first date. That's romantic as fuck."

Jongin lets out a bright laugh, scoots his chair a little closer to Chanyeol's. "That too," he teases, resting a hand on Chanyeol's thigh and giving it a fond squeeze. "Both of my reasons can coexist, you know."

"Well, it's nice to see my morally corrupt plan worked," Yoora remarks. She stands back up, grins at both of them. "You're helping maintain the whole lively and romantic aura weddings and receptions are supposed to have. I appreciate it a lot."

"You're not gonna be saying that once we're making out in the corner," Chanyeol says, and he only laughs when Jongin smacks his thigh in retaliation. 

Jongin gives Yoora a reassuring look. "We're not going to make out in the corner at your reception. He's just being himself."

Yoora smiles in amusement, pats the top of Chanyeol's head as she passes by. "I'm taking your boyfriend's word on this one. He's all angelic and sweet, so that means he's trustworthy."

"Hey," Chanyeol complains, but Yoora's already gone. She tosses a _have a good night, lovebirds_ over her shoulder and waves, and Chanyeol, despite himself, returns it. He does have his sister to thank for the beautiful dance instructor currently sitting beside him, after all.

With that, Chanyeol turns toward Jongin, leans in and steals a kiss without a second thought. "Hey there, gorgeous," he murmurs, leaving another kiss by Jongin's cheek. "You come here often?"

"You've already used that line on me," Jongin says. He smiles into the next kiss he's given regardless, gently tugs on the collar of Chanyeol's shirt when they separate. "Behave. We're in public. No excessive kissing around your family."

"We're totally making out in the corner later on," Chanyeol retorts, draping an arm over Jongin's shoulders and bringing him close. Jongin tucks himself into his side with a sound that's more than pleased. Beneath the table, Chanyeol finds Jongin's free hand and laces their fingers together.

It's lovely. Jongin's lovely.

"I don't think I ever officially asked you out." Chanyeol looks down at Jongin, at the pretty curve of his lashes, the soft bridge of his nose. "I think you just started calling me your boyfriend and I happily went along with it."

"Yes," Jongin says. He tips his head up and noses at Chanyeol's jaw. "There's my answer. Now you don't have to ask me out."

Chanyeol makes a noise of discontent in the back of his throat. "But it's not as fun if I don't get to ask you out. Come on, please? Can I ask you out? You're not allowed to change your answer, by the way. You said yes. You're stuck with me."

"What's the point of you asking me out if you already know the answer?" Jongin laughs. He leans back to oblige Chanyeol's antics, watches him adoringly. "Go ahead. You have my permission."

"Kim Jongin," Chanyeol starts, taking both of Jongin's hands in playful earnest. He'd planned on being silly, but as he gazes at Jongin, drinks his very presence in, he realizes just how much he likes him. He's pretty and kind from the inside out and Chanyeol wants to make him happy. He can't remember the last time he was ever this head-over-heels for someone. Maybe he's never been this head-over-heels before. Maybe he's in love.

Chanyeol likes the feeling of being in love. He likes making Jongin feel loved.

"Jongin," he tries again, voice softer. "Will you go out with me?"

Jongin looks as though he's seconds from turning into a puddle. "Yes," he breathes, pulling Chanyeol in for a hug and winding his arms tight around his shoulders. "You're so stupid. Of course I'll go out with you. I can't believe you think you even needed to ask."

Naturally, Chanyeol holds Jongin close, laughs quietly at the way Jongin clings to him in order to avoid showing how flustered he is. He's come to learn that Jongin's fond of clinging to whatever's within reasonable range, and as of late, that's been Chanyeol. "Now I'm legally allowed to call you my boyfriend."

"You've been calling me your boyfriend for two weeks," Jongin grumbles. He raises his head, pouts up at Chanyeol. "We're gonna have anniversary discrepancies because of you."

"Two anniversaries means two anniversary celebrations," Chanyeol notes, made cheery by the very thought of it. "That's two days where I get to smother you with hugs and kisses and materialistic gifts. You sure that's something worth complaining about?"

Jongin's still pouting, but his eyes are twinkling. "No," he replies, pressing his lips to Chanyeol's cheek. "It's not. But I expect to be smothered with hugs and kisses every other day of the year too."

He looks at Jongin, sees the sincerity in his expression, hears the tender tone of his voice. He's beautiful in every conceivable way, deserving of all the love in the world. Chanyeol, for reasons clearly known, wants to give it to him.

He smiles. "I think I can do that."

**Author's Note:**

> for prompt 32 ♡ i sincerely hope this meets the expectations of whoever submitted this prompt, it was very cute and i am very glad i got to write it!!


End file.
